To examine cigarette, alcohol and drug use among undergraduates in University College, Cork a pre- coded questionnaire was mailed to 1 in 7 (458) students, chosen systematically. The response rate was 97 per cent. Twenty per cent of males and 36 per cent of females do not drink, whereas a higher proportion of males (52 %) than of females (17%) are social drinkers or occasional drunks, sixty nine per cent of respondents' fathers and 44 per cent of their mothers drink. Other variables investigated include money spent on drink, frequency of going out to drink, frequency of drinking spirits, frequency of getting drunk, and peer group drinking. Thirty seven per cent of males and 28 per cent of females smoke.

In this survey 48 per cent of students had fathers who smoked and 38 per cent had mothers who did so. Twenty three per cent of males and 13 per cent of females have taken marijuana at least once and small percentages have taken LSD or barbiturates or amphetamines. Circumstances of first drug-taking experience are also presented in this paper. 45% of those who had taken drugs had got them from friends in Ireland, and a large number indicated that drugs were offered to them in pubs, hotels, clubs and parties. A quarter of the students indicated they would take marijuana if the opportunity arose, although there was a less positive attitude towards LSD, barbiturates or amphetamine use.